One of the better Sub $100 bottles in the valley in my opinion. Brash and not at all shy about its Napa roots, this wines is deep purple, looks lush and has a nose that is all about blackberries and vanilla. Except somewhere along the way, this wine finds a decent balance as well, bits of minerals, good structure plays a bit of a support role but the wine is well put together. The winery is very hard to find, pass Ladera, passing up into the mountains and past private roads and town water systems.

Nonetheless, a real solid bottle taht will please both the crowds and the wine geeks to an equal degree. I think I'm a bit more of a River's Marie guys at this $75 price point but it just a hair behind if at all.

I've had a few more bottles of this an let me say that I've become a believer in this winery. Both the Howell mountain and the Veeder mountain bottles rock. I like the Howell mountain myself for its balance but others in my group love the Veeder for its more voluminous power. There is a significant difference between the two bottles despite similar winery approaches post harvest.

If you can find this, forget what I said before about the price, its a great bottle and deserves to stand with some of the more expensive big boys.